For a complete list of our research papers, please see our Publications. Our lab focuses on advancing the understanding of how and why emotion regulation impacts social, psychological, and physical well-being across the lifespan. We take a multi-method approach to our research questions, using laboratory-based and naturalistic (e.g., experience sampling, daily diaries, longitudinal) approaches, along with assessments of self-reported experience, partner and peer reports, behavior, and psychophysiology. Please note that the sections below highlight our general research topics but not necessarily all of our current projects.
Ongoing Research:
Adult Development in Emotion Regulation
Despite the cognitive declines that occur with age, emotion processes remain largely intact or even improve later in life. In this line of research, we focus on understanding how emotion and emotion regulation develop across adulthood, including the factors underlying any changes that occur. For instance, we examine age-related shifts in emotional goals, use of specific emotion regulation strategies, and success of emotion regulation efforts. We are particularly interested in ways that cognitive impairment impacts one’s emotion regulation ability.
Emotion Regulation in Daily Life
Recent research suggest that emotion regulation flexibility, which involves adjusting one’s strategy use to meet changing demands in the environment, is essential for promoting well-being. This definition highlights the importance of considering the immediate situational contexts individuals find themselves in as they regulate their emotions. In this line of research, we focus on understanding the dynamic processes through which individuals’ emotion regulation patterns arise out of interactions in daily life by using experience sampling methods and/or daily diaries.
Interpersonal Emotion Regulation
Emotions are not just regulated by individuals but also interpersonally as individuals turn to close others (i.e., romantic partners, family, friends) to regulate their emotions. While the process of emotion regulation as it unfolds within an individual has been widely researched, little is still known about the process of interpersonal emotion regulation. In this line of research, we seek to clarify how individuals utilize their social resources in managing their emotions, how they might respond to others in times of need, and the relational consequences for such behaviors. For example, we are interested in dyadic regulation between partners, that is, how partners influence each others’ emotions and regulation efforts.